Device for use with skis



April 7, 1970 L. BERCHTOLD 3,504,923

DEVICEFOR USE WITH SKIS Filed April 9, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 7,1970 BERCHTOLD DEVICE FOR USE WITH SKIS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 9,1968 April 7; 1970 L. BERCHTOLD $5 DEVICE FOR USE WITH SKIS I FiledApril 9, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig. 6

United States Patent ()fice 3,504,923 Patented Apr. 7, 1970 DEVICE FORUSE WITH SKIS Ludwig Berchtold, Krailling, Bavaria, Germany, assignor toHannes Marker, Germisch-Partenkirchen, Germany Filed Apr. 9, 1968, Ser.No. 719,973 Claims priority, applicatign 1(:firmany, Apr. 20, 1967, 2

Int. Cl. A63c 9/084, 9/083 US. Cl. 280-1135 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE This invention relates to a device for use with skiscomprising a safety binding, e.g., in the form of an automaticheel-releasing device, and a retaining belt, which is secured to theski. It is an object of the invention so to improve a device of thiskind that the retaining belt does not only perform its normal functionto prevent a loss of the ski when the binding has been opened but canserve additionally as an ankle bandage. This is accomplished accordingto the invention in that a holding device which is mounted on the skiserves to tension a portion of that part of the retaining belt whichextends between the boot and the fixing means and the belt-holdingelement of said holding means releases the retaining belt and permitssaid retaining belt portion to relax in responseto an opening of thesafety binding. When a safety binding, such as an automaticheel-releasing device, is ready for skiing use, a firm connection isthus ensured between said heelreleasing device and the skiing bootwhereas the opening of the binding results in a release of the belt tosuch an extent that it acts no longer as a bandage but only as aretaining belt and is held only by its second, direct connection to theheel holder on the ski. A reverse portion of the belt is providedbetween means for directly anchoring the belt and the tension-resistingfixing means for the belt, which means is released in response to anopening of the binding, so that the belt can slip out when the holdingdevice has been opened and the opening of the safety binding will not beadversely aifected.

The tension-resisting fixing means must be adapted to be engaged quicklyand easily when the heel holder on the ski is open and ready to hestepped in and when the heel holder on the ski is closed and ready forskiing use. In a development of the invention, the holding elementconsists of a bolt, which is loaded by a spring and is adapted to beinserted through a'hole in the retaining belt into a passage defined bya channel member, which is secured to the ski, preferably to the housingof the safety binding, the retaining belt being threaded through saidchannel member, which forms preferably the anchoring means for theretaining belt, the end of the retaining belt being secured to thechannel member by a rivet or being adapted to bear against the channelmember by an enlargement, which is secured to the end of the retainingbelt. The housing is pivoted to a bearing bracket, which is secured tothe ski.

The invention will now be described with reference to embodiments shownby way of example on the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section,

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line IIII in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 but shows the safety bindinghalf open,

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 but shows the safety bindingfully open,

FIG. 5 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing anotherembodiment of the invention,

FIG. 6 is a side elevational showing a modification of the embodimentsof the invention shown in FIGS. 1-4 and FIG. 5, respectively, and

FIG. 7 shows the embodiment of FIG. 6 with the open binding.

FIGS. 1 to 7 show three different embodiments of fixing means forretaining belts. The fixing means are illustrated in connection withso-called automatic heel-releasing devices. The latter are shown insimplified representations showing only the functionally essentialparts.

In a first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 a bearing bracket 2 for ahousing 4 is secured to a ski 1. The housing 4 is pivoted by a pivot pin5 to the bearing bracket 2 and is provided with a channel member 6. Abelt 12 is threaded through the passage defined by the channel member 6.The housing 4 is formed with a bore 7. A holding element consisting of abolt 8 extends through the bore 7 into the passage defined by thechannel member 6 and is secured to a leaf. spring 9. The latter is fixedto the housing 4 by a rivet 10. At that end which is remote from thefixing point to the housing 4, the leaf spring 9 is angled twice to forma slider 11, which is Z-shaped in cross-section. A hook 3 of areleasable coupling engages the free flange of the slider 11. Thecoupling releasably connects the ski 1 to the bolt 8, which is slidablymounted in the housing 4 of the safety binding. The hook protrudes fromthe ski 1 approximately at right angles to the bearing surface of thebearing bracket 2. A retaining belt 12 is secured to the channel member6 by a rivet 13 and forms a loop behind the bolt 8. The bolt 8 extendsthrough a hole 14 of the retaining belt to hold the same against tensionas long as the safety binding is closed.

During the releasing operation, the heel of the skiing boot acts in thedirection of the arrow P on the heel holding-down member 15 of thehousing 4 to swing the housing 4 away from the bearing surface of theski. As the slider 11 protruding from the bolt 8 is interlocked with thehook 3, the slider and with it the bolt '8 are initially held back andthe channel member 6 is withdrawn from the bolt 8 so that the latterreleases the retaining belt 12, which can be pulled through the channelmember 6 to an extent which corresponds to the length of the loop.

As the releasing operation is continued, the hook 3 and slider 11disengage and the leaf spring 9 pushes the bolt 8 back into the passagedefined by the channel member 6. If the hole 14 of the retaining belt 12is not yet in registry with the bore in the housing 4, it will besufiicient to pull at the loop end until this registry has beenestablished so that the bolt 8 can fall in. This may be effected whenthe heel holder has already been opened.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment which is similar to that of FIGS. 1 to 3. Ahearing bracket 17 is secured to a ski 16 and a housing 18 is pivoted bya pin 19 to the bearing bracket 17. A retaining belt 40 is threadedthrough a channel member 20. The channel member 20 and a guide bushing21 for the holding bolt 22 are secured to the housing 18. The bolt 22extends through a helical compression spring 23, which bears at one endon a spring abutment connected to the bolt 22 and at the other end on aninturned rim 25 of the guide bushing 21 so that the spring urges thebolt 22 upwardly, A flange 26 is secured to the bolt 22 and interlockswith a hook 27 of a coupling for releasably connecting the bolt 22 tothe ski 16. A leaf spring connects the hook 27 to the bearing bracket 17of the housing 18.

The mode of operation is the same as that explained in conjunction withthe embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4.

According to FIGS. 6 and 7, a bearing bracket 30 for a housing 31 of anautomatic heel-releasing device is secured to a ski 29. The housing 31is pivoted to the bearing bracket 30 by a pin 32 and forms a unit withthe channel member 33, through which a retaining belt is threaded. Aguide housing 34 for a bolt 35 and a compression spring 36 are securedto the bearing bracket 30. The compression spring 36 bears at one end ona flange 37 of the bolt 35 and at the other end on an inturned rim ofthe guide housing 34. The bolt 35 is held in the housing 34 against theforce of the compression spring by a pin 38 so that the bolt can bedisplaced only in a downward direction from the position shown in FIG.6. The upper end of bolt 35 extends through bore 39 in the housing 31into the passage defined by the channel member 33. A retaining belt 40has a hole for the bolt 35 and is provided with an enlarged end portion41 so that the belt 40 cannot escape through the channel member 33 evenwhen the bolt 35 has left the hole in the belt. A stop 42 is engageablewith the channel member 33 in a position in which the hole in the belt40 is in registry with the hole 39 in the housing 31.

During the releasing operation, the heel of the skiing boot acts on theheel holding-down member 44 in the direction of arrow R and swings thehousing 31 upwardly (FIG. 7). The bolt 35 leaves the channel member 33to release the retaining belt, which can slip out until the enlargedportion 41 engages the channel member. In this embodiment, the retainingbelt can be fixed to resist tension only when the heel holder on the skiis in condition ready for use. Unless the hole in the retaining belt 40is incidentally in registry with the bore 39 of the housing 31, the bolt35 is depressed by a distance a. The bolt 35 can fall in as soon as theretaining belt 40 has been pulled rearwardly (to the right in thedrawing) to the limit defined by the stop 42.

The bore 43 in the top of the channel member 33 serves for checking thefalling-in of the bolt 35.

The bolt may be provided with a conspicuous color on its top end face.

What is claimed is:

1. In a combination of a retaining belt and a ski binding having anautomatic heel-releasing device with the belt preventing totaldisconnection of the ski boot upon actuation of the heel-releasingdevice, the rear end of said retaining belt attached to the ski binding,the front end of said belt adapted to be connected to the ski boot, aportion of said retaining belt adjacent the front end thereof lockableto the binding, said heel-releasing device including means for lockingsaid retaining belt via said lockable portion when the heel-releasingdevice is closed and releasing said lockable portion responsive toopening of said heel-releasing device, the improvement comprising springmeans biasing said means for locking said retaining belt to the lockedposition and means to effect release of said locking means from saidretaining belt when said heel-releasing device is opened.

2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said means to effect release ofsaid locking means is a hook means.

3. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said spring means is in the formof a leaf spring.

4. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said spring means is in the formof a coil spring.

5. The improvement of claim 4 wherein said means for locking theretaining belt comprises a pin slidably mounted in a housing of thesafety binding and wherein said spring surrounds said pin.

6. The improvement of claim 5 wherein said housing is rigidly securedwith respect to the ski.

7. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said means for locking saidretaining belt and said spring means are mounted on the fixed part ofsaid heel-releasing device.

8. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said means for locking theretaining belt comprises a pin slidably mounted in a housing of thesafety binding and wherein said means to effect release of said lockingmeans comprises a hook fixedly mounted with respect to the ski, whichhook is adapted to hold said pin in a fixed position relative to saidski until the release of said locking means is effected.

9. The improvement of claim 8 wherein said spring means is in the formof a leaf spring, wherein said pin is mounted on said leaf spring andwherein said hook is adapted to engage the end of the leaf springadjacent the pm.

10. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said means for locking theretaining belt comprises a pin slidably mounted in a housing of thesafety ski binding, wherein said means to effect release of said lockingmeans comprises a hook mounted on a leaf spring, the free end of whichis mounted on the bearing bracket of said ski binding, and wherein saidhook is adapted to hold said pin in a fixed position relative to saidski until the release of said locking means is effected.

11. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said retaining belt has a holetherein, wherein said means for locking the retaining belt comprises apin slidably mounted in a housing of the safety binding, said pin beingadapted to engage said hole, wherein said retaining belt is providedwith stop means to limit its movement relative to said pin, wherein saidbinding is rovided with a channel member, and wherein said stop means ispositioned so that the pin is in alignment with the hole when said stopmeans abuts said channel member.

12. The improvement of claim 1 wherein a window is provided forinspecting the position of said means for locking the retaining belt.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,259,701 10/1941 Legros 28011.352,610,068 9/1952 Majneri 280-1135 3,186,727 6/1965 Hatlapa 280-l1.35

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,337,872 8/1963 France. 1,482,109 4/1967 France.

179,790 1/ 1936 Switzerland.

OTHER REFERENCES Weberling, German application Ser. No. 1,182,562,printed Nov. 26, 1964.

LEO FRIAGLIA, Primary Examiner MILTON L. SMITH, Assistant Examiner

